The real excitement in this, at times, feisty encounter came in the final ten minutes after Clifton pulled back a fourteen point deficit to bring the scores level. With time running short a break away try by Rams winger Luke Graham gained the Rams the victory.

Clifton’s determination was ever present throughout the afternoon in which they showed a true spirit and commitment to attacking play. Some adventurous running to make valuable yards at times unsettled the Rams, who had only lost once before this season. However, to lose a second successive game by a narrow margin is disappointing, but they will retain self belief as their next games are with clubs below them in the table.

Early pressure from the visitors saw centre Morgan MacRae brush aside two tackles to score with fly half Mike Cooke adding the first of three successful conversions.

Clifton fly half Tom Quinlan was unlucky to see two long range penalties go narrowly wide of the posts. On the half hour Clifton thought full back Matty Jones had crossed, only for play to be recalled to their frustration following an intervention by a touch judge, with the referee awarding a yellow to each side for a previous incident. The resulting penalty was awarded to Clifton.

Clifton were back in the game before half time, but early after the break the Reading men broke for a slightly chaotic second MacRae try. Almost immediately a fluent cross field move sent home winger Ollie Harris, showing blistering pace, into the corner with Quinlan converting from the touchline. The unfortunate loss of influential number 8 Harry Hone did not unduly unsettle Clifton, with Brad Talbot joining the fray.

The Clifton scrum was getting stronger with threequarters and the back row making ground, and with Clifton Sausage Man of the Match flanker Jay Evans often to the fore. The Rams were looking tense and losing some composure.

Playing with spirit Clifton were getting on top with a catch and drive sending replacement Tom Hatch over with Quinlan’s conversion good to make the scores level at 14-14.

However, with five minutes left to play and Clifton applying pressure, Graham’s try brought success to his team and disappointment to the lavender and blacks who had competed in almost all aspects of the game.

Roger Opie

Wanderers 33 - 7 Old Bristolians 1st XV

Clifton Wanderers produced a commanding display on Saturday to secure a 33-7 victory over Old Bristolians, combining clinical finishing with relentless defensive work to claim a deserved away win.

The Wanderers struck early, setting the tone for a dominant first half. Openside flanker Charlie Bunce crossed for the opening try after sustained pressure, with Ollie Millner adding the extras to make it 0-7. A brief setback came when loosehead Ben Ling was shown a yellow card, but the Wanderers dug deep defensively, repelling several Old Bristolians attacks to keep their line intact.

Momentum quickly swung back in Clifton’s favour as captain Jacob Head led from the front with two powerful close-range tries before the break, both converted by Millner, giving the visitors a commanding 0-21 lead at half-time.

Old Bristolians came out with renewed energy after the restart and were rewarded with a well-worked try to narrow the gap to 7-21. However, any hopes of a comeback were swiftly quashed when replacement Chris Barnard charged over for the Wanderers’ fourth try, once again converted by the ever-reliable Millner.

The final blow came from winger Tom Hargan, who finished off a sweeping backline move to seal a comprehensive 7-33 win.

The Wanderers’ pack set the platform throughout, with Conor Thomas outstanding in both attack and defence - earning him Man of the Match honours. Skipper Head and replacement Junsei Yasuda shared the “Shot of the Week” for a ferocious double tackle that summed up the Wanderers’ defensive commitment.

A complete team performance from start to finish - disciplined, physical, and clinical - as the Wanderers continue to build momentum heading into the next round of fixtures.

Tries: Bunce, Head (2), Barnard, Hargan
Conversions: Millner (4)
Man of the Match: Conor Thomas
Shot of the Week: Head & Yasuda

Photographs by Ian Clark